


Pieces Together

by littlestarlight44



Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Coming Out, Dating, High School, M/M, Modern AU, Romance, gay relationship, kalluzeb - Freeform, modern kalluzeb au, possible gay sex chapters in the future, tw: abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-29
Updated: 2018-10-29
Packaged: 2019-08-09 09:59:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16447694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlestarlight44/pseuds/littlestarlight44
Summary: Modern Kalluzeb AU - Kallus and Zeb shorts of coming out, falling in love, wanting to start a family and general cuteness and romance that comes with dating in late high school.{Background: Hera and Kanan foster and adopt three teenagers: Zeb, Sabine, and Ezra and live in a house with their pet cat Chopper}





	Pieces Together

_A/N: I thought of this AU one night when I couldn't sleep and I couldn't get it out of my head, so I decided to write it. WARNING: this chapter may be triggering for some readers as it deals with parental abuse and other negative situations when some people come out. If you feel like this chapter might trigger you please don't read. Not all chapters will deal with this theme, this is just the introduction of the fic. However, if you do like this chapter, please tell me what you think and if you want me to write more!_

**Chapter Summary: Kanan comes home from work and finds out that his adopted son's boyfriend was outed.**

 

* * *

 

 

Turning off his car, Kanan sighed as the front lights quickly drifted off, a glow quickly getting smaller and smaller until there was darkness in the car and to the house, the only light coming from the streetlight a few steps down from their driveway. 

Looking up at his house, he was surprised to see that many of the lights were out, a soft glow only coming from a couple of windows through the blinds. Opening the door and pulling out of the car, Kanan heard the small echo of the slam of the car door when it shut. He always hated having the night shifts, it was always so quiet when he got home this late, nothing to be heard but the wind and traffic. Sometimes he liked the sounds of the night, sitting out on the deck with Hera with a cup of tea, but when it was this late the sounds of the night went from frogs and bugs to just traffic sounds.

Walking up the few steps to the deck and front door, Kanan checked the door, finding it unlocked before easily walking in and shutting the door behind him, locking it. Considering that Hera was still up, the house was pretty silent. She always locked the door if she went to bed early, and if not she was usually on the living room couch or chair, reading the next book of hers on the bookshelf with the evening news playing in the background. The living room light was on, but it was empty, the television off. Looking to the other side of the small hallway to the doorway into the kitchen, he saw those lights were also off.

Hearing soft pats, Kanan looked down and saw Chopper slowly walking from the kitchen area, looking annoyed that Kanan had woken him up. The grey and orange cat only stared at him for a few moments, looking as though he was glaring daggers up at him.

“Where is everyone, Chopper?” Kanan asked.

The cat just kept glaring at him before giving an ugly, quiet meow before turning, walking back into the dark kitchen. 

Kanan rolled his eyes, shaking his head. It was an ugly cat, and a cat that hated him. Kanan was sure that the cat had made up schemes and plans to kill him at least a few times every night, but that Thing was Hera’s. And it didn’t mind the kids either. Perhaps the cat didn’t hate him as much as he thought….perhaps.

Kicking off his boots, confused and a little worried, Kanan walked through the living room to the other side, going through the doorway to the short hallway to the stairs. Looking up, more lights were on upstairs. A few soft glows seemed to be coming from different sides of he hallway.

His brows furrowing slightly, Kanan slowly walked up the steps, ears listening for anything going on. At this time of night, even on a Friday, the kids were all usually asleep by now, but as he got further up the steps he saw that the light to he and Hera’s bedroom was on, so was the bathroom and a soft glow came from under the doorway of Zeb and Ezra’s room.

Hearing soft whispering from his right, Kanan turned towards the bathroom.

“Hera?” he whispered, still slightly confused.

The whispering had instantly stopped. In the small opening, Kanan just barely caught a glimpse into the room. He could only see along one side of the room, and even then that was very short. Hera was kneeling by the toilet. For a brief moment Kanan worried that she was sick, but he noticed that she wasn’t close enough to it. There was someone else on it…Kallus. He could barely see the white shoulders, completely slouched.

Kanan saw Hera move and from the shadow against the wall, he knew that she had looked over her shoulder at the doorway before she looked back into the room.

“I’ll go talk to your father,” Hera spoke in a whisper. Who else was in there? “Kallus, keep that against your eye. Don’t press too hard though.”

He saw a shadow nod and Kanan almost didn’t believe it was Kallus’s. It was too small. 

Still looking through the doorway, Kanan watched confused but patiently as he watched Hera move to stand up and turn. As she moved towards the door, her shadow and body covered up the opening for a second before she opened the doorway a little bit, only to get herself through. Kanan’s eyes were trailed to the opening from the door though. As Hera began to shut the door behind her, Kanan only caught the brief image of Kallus sitting hunched on the toilet, fully clothed but holding a bag of frozen peas to the side of his face, looking away as though he sensed that Kanan was looking at him. Zeb was sitting on the edge of the tub close-by beside him, holding a hand on Kallus’s shoulder of comfort, completely focused on him, while both held the other’s free hand tightly on Kallus’s lap. 

As soon as Hera shut the door, hearing the click, it was like the spell was broken. Kanan immediately looked up at his wife. Her face was soft, yet he could see the hard interior of what she was feeling, her eyes the same. There was a small flame of hurt, but a larger one of anger.

Hera cleared her voice slightly before she whispered, already moving to grip his arm and walk forward to lead him before her words spoke, “lets go to our room.”

Kanan barely had time to take one last look at the door before Hera was almost pulling him into their room by his arm. Kanan had no option but to oblige and follow her, almost tripping ever so slightly from her momentum pulling him before he was able to regain balance and follow her down the dark hallway.

As soon as they stepped into their bedroom, Hera pulled him in and shut the door behind him and turned the light on before Kanan even had the chance to reach for it. Turning to each other, Kanan looked her over. The room was quiet, the entire house seemed silent right now.

“I put Sabine and Ezra to bed early when Kallus came. I told them they could read for a little while but I’m pretty sure both fell asleep,” Hera told him.

“Hera, what is going on?” Kanan asked, keeping his voice lowered, though not quite a whisper.

She sighed and brought a hand to rub the back of her neck. It was only then Kanan has seen how it was slightly disheveled, a few strands of the brown hair now fallen onto her shoulders.

“Kallus is going to be staying with us for a while,” she told him.

Kanan thought for a moment, trying to piece things together.

“Did he get into a fight with his parents?” he asked, slightly confused. That would be a surprise to him. Kallus may have had small disagreements with his parents, but as far as Kanan had seen and heard, Kallus was practically their Golden Boy. Well behaved, a student on many sports team with an incredible academic standing enough to get him an early acceptance into any ivy-league school they wanted, Kallus’s parents prided and paraded him so much he was practically a trophy for them. 

But Hera’s face faltered a little bit as she heaved in a sigh.

“Not exactly,” Hera answered, her voice also only a bit above a whisper so that the kids wouldn’t hear them. She brought her hands down and crossed her arms before answering, “Kallus got kicked out.”

Brows immediately furrowing, Kanan looked at his wife, clearly confused. He stared at her for a moment, trying to think about that statement.

Before he could ask the question verbally, Hera was already answering him. 

“Do you remember Matthew Thrawn?” Hera asked. “We met him a few times when Zeb used to be on the wrestling team? He’s a few grades above Zeb.” 

Kanan didn’t need to think about it too long. There were only so many people on the wrestling team, and Zeb and Thrawn had always had problems with each other, so he heard the name constantly. His parents also never missed a chance to parade their son and his amazing top of his class academic standing and sports medals.

“Yeah,” he answered them. It wasn’t hard to bring the picture to his mind. Tall, thin faced, and constantly looking as though he was unimpressed with everything he ever saw besides when he won. 

Hera hesitated for a moment, before explaining, “he outed Kallus late last night. I guess rumours were spread more around school and by the end of the day they made it to his parents.”

Blinking at his wife, it wasn’t long before Kanan actually realized he had the feeling as though his stomach was collapsing in on him. An immediate memory came to mind when Kallus had invited Zeb to a social barbecue his parents were hosting and his parents then invited he and Hera to attend.

It was a few months after Zeb admitted that he was seeing someone. A few weeks later, Zeb had been a little nervous as he asked if he could invite someone to dinner. It was a classy night, a suit and tie and fancy dress event with classy champagne and wine that probably costed more than his car insurance. But what stood out the most was that it was _Zeb_ who introduced himself to Kallus’s parents as a _friend_ of his. That was after Zeb told them they were dating and after Kanan had seen the two leaning against each other on the couch, and the soft touches they would have when they thought no one was looking, and the pure smile when they would laugh together at a joke one of them made. Hera and Kanan never fell for the ‘friend’ excuse when Zeb invited Kallus over that first night, and they had never had a problem with the relationship. 

But the instant that Zeb said those words the implied message was perfectly clear. The two supported that story instantly. 

It was a subject that both of them knew was off limits. Kanan didn’t know how much Hera wondered about it, but neither of them spoke about it to Zeb or Kallus. They understood when they would spend more time here to be together, or when Zeb would ask Kanan to cover for them.

As the memory faded, something else filled his mind.

_“Kallus, keep that against your eye. Don’t press too hard though.”_

The image of Kallus slouched on the toilet with shoulders slumped.

The frozen bag of peas against his face.

“Did they hurt him?!” Kanan’s voice got a little louder, anger burst from him before he fully realized it was there.

“Kan…Kanan!” Hera’s voice got more alert as her husband turned around, opening the door in swift movements, his shoulders up and tense as a look of anger had gripped his features.

Quickly following after him, Hera almost leaped forward to grab his arm to stop him as Kanan stood at the top of the staircase. He barely turned towards her as she told him in a hushed voice, “Kanan, you can’t go charging to the Kallus house.”

“Like hell I won’t,” Kanan growled, though his feet stopped so that he didn’t pull her. Words couldn’t begin to express his anger, even just to fully explain the justification of it he was so livid. Just the image of Kallus injured and slouched in defeat in their house and knowing that his parents had hurt hm after finding out he was gay was enough of a self-starting inferno. He wasn’t sure what he would do exactly when he got there, maybe thoughts wouldn’t have anything to do with it, just reactions—

“Kanan!” Hera whispered harshly to get him out of his thoughts.

Letting out a breath, Kanan turned to look over his shoulder at her.

“Kanan, I know you’re upset. I am too. But you are needed _here_ ,” Hera told him, her voice more gentle but still of a tone that Kanan knew not to question. 

Staring at her for a moment, Kanan’s shoulders slowly began to drop as they lost their tension. There was still anger, he didn’t know when that fire would go away if it ever would, but he knew that she was right. 

He let out another long breath of air before he told her in a whisper, “alright.”

She nodded, letting go of his arm.

“How is he?” Kanan asked, not sure if he should know if it started up his rage again, but at the same time he knew that he needed to know.

Hera stared at him for a moment, almost thinking the same thoughts as him before she finally answered, “he’s a little banged up. He’s got a pretty dark eye and a few bruises. I think the worst thing is that he says his one chest side hurts. I might take him in to the hospital just to make sure it’s not something worse.”

Pressing his lips together, Kanan breathed in a long, deep breath through his nose until he was holding it, almost feeling dizzy before he let it out through his nose again. 

“Why don’t you start getting the couch ready for Kallus. I don’t think either are really up for talking about it tonight. We can make more of a plan tomorrow,” Hera told him, hoping to get his mind and activity onto something else. 

Kanan nodded. Tomorrow would be Saturday. He wouldn’t need to worry about Zeb and Kallus going to school just yet, but that would mean Ezra and Sabine would be home.

“Maybe I’ll call Ahsoka and ask if she can take Sabine and Ezra for the day,” Kanan suggested.

Pausing on the idea for a moment, she finally nodded in agreement. “It’d probably be better if they weren’t around,” she agreed.

Kanan nodded before he let out another sigh. He looked back at the doorway to the bathroom before he turned to her again. “I’ll get things ready….and Hera?”

She raised an eyebrow to him.

“Thanks for…calming me back down,” he admitted.

She nodded and gave him an ever small smile. She patted his arm before telling him, “you’re welcome. And your reaction was fair. We need to focus on Kallus right now.” 

Kanan nodded before he watched her begin to walk back to the bathroom to help the boys again. As she walked, she commented in a low voice to him, “besides, I need you here to be my alibi when I go over to the Kallus house with a baseball bat.”

Kanan snickered from the comment, but he couldn’t be completely sure she was wasn’t lying.

As Hera moved into the bathroom again, Kanan was already walking back down the stairs, moving almost mechanically as his mind went back into his thoughts as they went through everything that happened since he got home. 

Once downstairs, a small idea came into the back of his head, a bit behind his recollections, but it softly drifted above the water enough to make him head to the kitchen and start a cup of hot chocolate. 

 

* * *

 

It was only about ten minutes later when Kanan heard footsteps creeping down the steps before stepping across the family room, muted slightly when they reached the rug around the couch. Although Kanan could tell that he was trying to keep quiet, even a feather could make those steps creak. He had been in the kitchen, his back to the family room as he finished making the hot chocolate, stirring a spoon lightly around the cup to make sure that they mix was infused in well.

Picking up the steaming blue cup, Kanan carefully walked into the family room. Kallus was already laying along the couch, looking down at his phone and propped up by the old pillow on one side, under the blanket that Kanan had set up. It wasn’t much, but they always had blankets at easy access for the kids if they ever needed them during the night and they had kept old pillows, mostly flattened and replaced from the beds, for situations like this (and for forts). 

Kallus looked up from his phone for a moment, realizing it was Kanan. He tried to give off a small smile, but only one side of his lips turned up. The father realized that Kallus was wearing one of Zeb’s sweaters, which was a little big on him. That said something considering Kallus wasn’t at all a small person either. Kanan had to remind himself not to stare, but his eyes still didn’t stop sizing up Kallus. Hera was right, he saw the split lip, the bruises near the bottom of his jaw, and a pretty damning black eye but it didn’t look too bad at least. It didn’t look like it would swell up so he couldn’t open it, but it would be painful for a little while.

“Here,” Kanan offered Kallus the cup, still forcing the cap on his anger as he looked at the bruises. “I thought that you could use this.”

The teenager stared at the cup before setting his phone back down. Taking it with both hands, Kallus gave him a slightly bigger, more grateful smile. He held the warm cup in his hands, hoping it would warm himself up a bit more. 

Realizing the silence in the room, almost hearing the ticks of the clock on the wall, Kanan asked Kallus, “how are you feeling? Hera said that your side hurt.”

Looking down at himself, more towards the side in question, Kallus then shrugged before looking back up at him.

“It hurts a little, but it’s more an ache now. I think it’ll be fine by morning,” Kallus answered him, hopeful at least.

Hearing the small notification go off, both Kallus and Kanan turned to look at the phone laying beside Kallus, half hidden from the blanket. Kallus picks it up, checks it before quickly making a text back with one hand before setting it down again.

Although Kanan wasn’t sure if he should ask, he wondered if it was his parents or family messaging about it, or if it was more comments from people at his school. 

“Who are you talking to?” Kanan tried to ask him casually.

The teenager looked up at him, not fooled, but the sides of his lips tugged up slightly.

“My brother,” he answered. “He said that he’s going to try and sneak out some of my clothes and other things and bring them over tomorrow.”

Kanan nodded, thinking for a moment on how to proceed, but Kallus was already ahead of him.

“He feels bad about what happened,” Kallus answered, “but… well…”

Kanan nodded. It was hard to go up against your parents sometimes, or even just adults who were supposed to care for you in general. He was thankful he was with his adopted mother, but he remembered how many caretakers of the orphanage weren’t as warm hearted. 

“That’s good at least,” Kanan told him. He or Hera could try contacting his parents as well, see if they could get more of his things. Kanan didn’t know what they would do with his old things, but he doubted they would keep it if they were sure about not letting Kallus back. Not to mention, but there was no way Kanan, and he knew Hera too, was going to let him go back to people like that, people who beat their child when he is no longer their perfect shiny trophy. 

Kallus looked back down at the cup in his hand, staring at it and the diamond designs at the sides of the cup briefly before taking a small gulp, Kallus relished in the feeling of the warmth moving through him.

“Thanks, Mr. Jarrus,” Kallus told him before a frown began to slowly pull down his lips. “I mean….for all this. I…”

The frown that slowly captured Kanan’s face was not completely directed towards Kallus, but more of himself.

Carefully, he moved towards Kallus and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, patting it lightly. The teenager looked up at him and Kanan looked back down at him, staring into the boy’s eyes, with a serious, yet still gentle look on his face.

“We take care of family,” Kanan told him gently, needing Kallus to know this, needing him to know that he didn’t need to thank them for doing this. They took care of family. They protected family. “And don’t you ever apologize for this, or who you are.”

The two stared at each other a few seconds, Kallus staring up at him, his chest building up and it held unconsciously before he let it out, finally nodding. Kanan gave him a small smile before giving Kallus a last small pat on the shoulder before letting his hand slide down. He looks towards the kitchen before telling Kallus, “the stove light will be on if you need anything in there.” Looking around the room, he gestures a little shrug towards the television. “And you can put the tv on too, if it’ll help.”

Kallus nodded. Before he could say anything else, Kanan was already walking to the stairway at the edge of the room. He turned to look over his shoulder, asking the teen, “do you want me to shut off the light?”

Kallus nodded. As Kanan moved, his hand now hovering over the light switch, he turned back to Kallus again.

“If you need anything, at all, or if your chest gets worse, Hera and I are upstairs,” Kanan told him. 

The teenager nodded, giving him a small smile of thanks. Kanan still didn’t like the look of the multiple bruises around Kallus’ face, and knew that he never would, but at least he was away from them now. As Kanan turned off the light, the bruises still appeared in his mind, burning into them, knowing they would serve as a reminder if the Kallus’ ever tried to come near their son again.

Walking back up the stairs, Kanan briefly heard “night Mr. Jarrus” come from downstairs. Standing at the top, Kanan smiled and answered back in a low voice, “good night Kallus.”

There was a silence after, a slight peace to it. Letting out a bit of a sigh, Kanan began to walk to his own bedroom, hoping that Hera was there. He doubted either of them would get a lot of sleep, but it would be nice to at least be able to talk with her and be near her. It would calm them both down. 

On his way down the hallway, he caught a small light un the crack of the doorway to Zeb and Ezra’s room. The father stopped for a moment, staring at the soft glow of the light before he sighed and moved towards the other bedroom.

Knocking ever so slightly first in case Ezra was sleeping, Kanan gently pushed open the door, holding the knob as he looked in. Ezra was in his bed, his back to the door and Zeb’s turned on beside lamp. The older boy was pacing almost as he got things ready for bed, as though a mix of moving mechanically and his thoughts pausing this mechanical action and causing it to happen over and over again.

“Zeb?” Kanan asked gently.

The teenager turned quickly, staring at Kanan now. 

Staring into the large, fear filled eyes, Kanan quickly stepped forward. The teenager’s chest was moving up and down rapidly, as though it was on the brink of something between a panic attack and a sob.

“Zeb?” he asked, worried.

“I never should have let him go home alone,” Zeb rambled, his breathing getting a little worse. “I knew something might happen, that the rumours would spread…he told me to go home and I shouldn’t have listened to him. I shouldn’t have let him go home alone….”

“Zeb?” Kanan brought his hands on top of Zeb’s shoulders, gently squeezing them to help catch his attention. The teenager looked at Kanan, his eyes searching around Kanan’s face, his chest still puffing slightly but it wasn’t as uncontrollable anymore. 

“I knew it was likely that his parents somehow found out about it,” Zeb told him, his breathing slowly becoming more regular again. “I shouldn’t have let him go home. I just should have brought him here…”

“Zeb what’s happened is done,” Kanan told him gently. “Kallus isn’t seriously hurt, he’ll be able to stay here, and we will sort all of this out.”

The teen stared at Kanan, thinking about the words before he finally, slowly, nodded.

“Okay,” Zeb agreed weakly.

Kanan patted his shoulder before telling the other as he let his arms drop, “try and get some sleep. We’ll make a better plan in the morning.”

Zeb nodded again, leaning back more and running a hand through his short hair. He let out a final sigh and Kanan’s own held in breath let out as well.

“Try and get some sleep, okay,” Kanan told him.

Zeb nodded once again, looking up at Kanan before slowly sitting down in his bed. 

“Thanks, Kanan,” Zeb told him in a small voice.

Kanan gave Zeb a smile.

“Goodnight, Zeb,” he answered.

Zeb gave him another nod, but Kanan knew what it meant after all these years. Zeb didn’t always talk to get out a message, and he and Hera knew how to pick up on that.

Turning, Kanan left the room, shutting the door quietly behind him before he moved back to his own room again, a low light coming from under the door of that room too. He knew that Hera would be full of thoughts as well, and that neither of them would get a lot of sleep that night.

Kanan didn’t quite know where Kallus was going to stay and how they would make it work, but he knew that they would. Kallus was family the moment that Zeb brought him home, the moment that he and Zeb were together. They took care of family.

 

* * *

 

Jerking awake, Kanan closed his eyes tightly again once the light hit his eyes from the open window. Testing his eyes against the light again, he let out low groan as he shifted in the bed, stretching out his legs a bit more. Taking in the relieved feeling, he turned carefully in the bed, finding Hera still sleeping soundly. He couldn’t quite remember when she fell asleep last night, probably around the same time as him, but he’d let her sleep in still either way.

Moving to lean up on one elbow, Kanan looked over her shoulder to the clock on the night stand. 9:30. That wasn’t so bad for timing, although he was surprised that it wasn’t more louder around the house. Usually everyone else was up by now, someone playing music, usually Zeb or Sabine, one person watching television at a decent volume that could be heard clearly from the bedrooms.

He sighed, running a hand down his face before he forced himself out of the bed, moving quickly but gently to make sure he didn’t wake Hera, though he was sure she knew still, it was still in a sleepy haze. 

Walking from the bed, he barely looked at himself as he passed the mirror, quickly going to the door to find out where everyone was. 

Shutting the door silently behind him, Kanan noticed Sabine’s room door open. Walking down the hallway a bit more, Kanan slowly looked through the doorway, coming more into view. The fourteen-year-old was still in her pyjamas with her earbuds to her phone, already at her art easel working on another project, something purple…almost like a galaxy…and a bird?

Feeling his eyes on her, Sabine turned looking at him before pulling one earbud out. 

“Hey, Kanan,” Sabine greeted.

“Pretty quiet this morning,” Kanan commented, looking back to the easel. He gestured a bit with his shoulder to it. “That’s looking good.”

The girl looked over at it before shrugging, “still have a lot to do.” She looked back at him and answered, “and we wanted to be quiet so Zeb and Kallus could still sleep. I think Ezra’s still down there eating breakfast.”

Kanan nodded before looking over his shoulder. The door to the boy’s room was still shut, so maybe Zeb still was sleeping.

“Kanan?”

Kanan turned back to look at her, a little shocked, especially when he saw her face had fallen a bit, “yes?”

“Is Kallus going to be okay? Ezra and I…well we heard what happened.” she asked, her voice lower as though worried that Kallus would hear her from downstairs.

Pausing for a few seconds, Kanan finally nodded, “yes, he’ll be alright. We have to figure some things out, but we will. Don’t worry about that.”

The teen nodded understandingly. She looked as though she had a few more silent thoughts before she moved to look back at her painting, beginning to work on it again. He didn’t know if she was relieved in the words he said, or if she just wanted to get the situation out of her mind. When he had come home last night they had already been asleep, or at least in their rooms so he didn’t know how much they had heard or knew about what was going on. 

“Hera and I will talk to you and Ezra a little bit later, okay,” he told her.

Sabine nodded, not looking away from her painting, already moving her brush over it again.

Deciding not to stay and wanting to check on Kallus, Kanan silently moved out of the room and began walking down the halls to the staircase. Silently walking down the stairs, Kanan almost heard his footsteps echoing in the silence. It was almost eerie. The closer he got downstairs, he began to hear the small whispers of music and voices he didn’t quite recognize. Kallus must’ve turned on the television to give some background sound last night to help him sleep.

With his feet hitting the ground, Kanan was still silent as he walked towards the living room, his steps getting slower as though that would help his steps to become more quiet. Taking a second or two between his steps, Kanan slowly rounded the doorway into the living room.

Peaking his head around the opening, Kanan’s eyes first went to the couch and within a second, his face softened, his shoulders slowly falling as his tension released. Moving to stand in the doorway, a tug gently pulled at the father’s lips as he looked to the couch. With the sun’s rays slowly filling the room, Kallus was still sleeping, curled slightly on the bed. His body was still slightly tangled in the blanket and even curled he seemed too big for the couch. With one arm hanging down from the side, his hand was grasping Zeb’s. Sometime in the night, probably not long after Kanan had left his room, Zeb had come downstairs and was now laid out along the side of the couch, his head rested on his bed pillow, the blanket had been pulled down from it as well. Both of them were fast asleep.

Seeing movement from the corner of his eye, Kanan turned his head, only to see Ezra quietly walking out from the doorway to the kitchen from this side, a bowl of Sugar Crisp cereal in hand with Chopper walking beside him. Ezra stared at him for a moment before walking on.

“Morning,” Ezra told him in a quiet voice. 

“Good morning,” Kanan whispered back.

“I’m going back upstairs, if that’s okay,” Ezra told him.

Kanan nodded, watching as Chopper was pushing on Ezra’s back legs as though to try and encourage him forward. Impatient cat.

“Yeah,” Kanan answered. 

Ezra nodded, moving forward after another push to his legs. Kanan had to fight the urge to roll his eyes, but let the two walk back upstairs, a few of the steps creaking, but that didn’t seem to make the house any louder than the silent that it was already in. 

Looking back into the living room, Kanan looked at the two teens again. Kallus’s eye was still dark, and he knew that it would be swollen, probably unable to really open for today, but Kallus seemed comfortable here, and definitely with Zeb. Looking at their interlocked hands, held tightly even in their sleep, Kanan knew that they would be okay. There may be a few bumps in the next few days, but at he knew that they would be okay. 


End file.
